Climate Control Vents Closing Automatically

Just noticed when you start the car up after a few seconds you can hear a mechnical whirr which sounds like the vents opening on the dash. Does anyone know if these shut when you turn the engine off then open again after a few seconds of starting driving again?

Sounds like when you change the direction of air on the climate control ie from in your face to low on the floor.

Would make sense ie not letting any mucky air into the car and say when reversing out of a garage not letting any fumes in the car.

I've heard something like this too. Usually a few minutes after I've set off in a morning. Often wondered about it. I know that the air con on a lot of VAG cars goes onto 'recirculate' when you engage reverse but that wouldn't explain this. Odd one.

Think I'll go in the garage and turn the ignition on without the engine and see what happens. Its the same noise when you turn the unit off so I suppose turning the engine off is just like manually turning it off by closing the fan speed down via the buttons and when you start the engine turning it on via the buttons!

Think its just the vents adjusting on startup when its turned on about 5 secs later...

ticking sound.... now theres a familiar thing! had this with my car since new it used to do my head in - i was told by garage very common and its some flap in the heater system that tends to try to go 'further open' than it is supposed to - it is remedied by an electronic calibration which redefines its maximum 'open angle' so it doesnt try to go past this (this is what the clicking soud is) they did this once on mine and it seemed to go away for a bit but it soon came back!

Just noticed when you start the car up after a few seconds you can hear a mechnical whirr which sounds like the vents opening on the dash. Does anyone know if these shut when you turn the engine off then open again after a few seconds of starting driving again?

Sounds like when you change the direction of air on the climate control ie from in your face to low on the floor.

Would make sense ie not letting any mucky air into the car and say when reversing out of a garage not letting any fumes in the car.

When I had an Audi 80 Sport back in 1985 I used to have to remember to close all the vents on a windy day otherwise the wind blowing through the ventilation system would trigger the untrasonic sensors and set-off the alarm.

This hasn't happened on any of my A3s and I think the automatic closing of the vents stops this.

Defo the climate flaps. Mine does it regularly. Apparently it's not uncommon that a flap motor assembly "goes past" the "stop" position (sorry but don't know how else to describe it!).
could have had it looked at under warranty, but the dealer tech said they wouldn't know which one it was UNTIL they'd pulled half the dash apart, and I figured they'd leave me with even more annoying squeaks, rattles and buzzing of trim than I have to put up with as it is....

Defo the climate flaps. Mine does it regularly. Apparently it's not uncommon that a flap motor assembly "goes past" the "stop" position (sorry but don't know how else to describe it!).
could have had it looked at under warranty, but the dealer tech said they wouldn't know which one it was UNTIL they'd pulled half the dash apart, and I figured they'd leave me with even more annoying squeaks, rattles and buzzing of trim than I have to put up with as it is....

Click to expand...

Excellent! So its not just me that has a cacophany of squeaking and creaking caused by Audi tech's removing half my dash. It drives me round the twist!

Chris, mine does all that WITHOUT having had the pleasure of dashboard deconstructed.... and not just the dash, all over the interior - instrument binnacle/steering colum shroud, seatbelt "adjuster" trim, rear quarterpanel (interior) trim, you name it.
Yep, Herman was DEFINATELY on an early finish and looking forward to a night on the lash, that Freitag when my car was "built".

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